Someday
by Notebooked14
Summary: He always knew that someday, she'd realize she made the wrong decision. Bella & Jacob.
1. Chapter 1

It's strange when life carries on, when love necessarily doesn't.

Tonight, I can't sleep. Edward's arms hold me, creating barriers that I can't break free of. That's exactly how I always feel - trapped, nearly suffocating from this overwhelming, overprotecting love. A duvet's thrown over me, but I'm still frozen. Doesn't he care that he's keeping me awake? Doesn't he care that he's ruined everything?

I can feel his eyes on me, watching me sleep, and I shiver. But the tremor running throughout my body has nothing to do with the cold. One freezing, spider-like hand is playing with my hair in irritating fashion, twirling a piece around his finger repeatedly. Can't he just, respect certain boundaries? No. It's nearly impossible for Edward to possibly back off, but could he try? I long for dreams to come so I can return to that happy-place in my imagination where there's a place on my face and no pain in my heart.

From where I lie, I can see out of the window. What a beautiful starry night, the skies lit up by the magnificent constellations. I wish I knew the names of some them, but I'm content with just admiring them for now. I wonder if Jacob's looking up at the stars tonight, and if he's wishing on the brightest, most exceptional one up there - like I am. I hope he's wishing for me, much like I'm wishing for him.

Who knows, maybe if we wish for each other at the exact time, it quite possibly can come true.

Morning comes, and I hastily stumble out of bed, finally out of Edward's icy embrace, and I hurriedly get changed in the bathroom. When Edward see's the expression on my face when I walk out, he demands to know what's wrong - "What's the matter, sweetheart?" His brow furrows with alarm. Arms reach outwards, trying to capture me to his chest. I step back, shaking my head. "Bella? Are you alright? You look a bit sick. Shall I get Carlisle? Sit down." He orders.

Instead, I turn and my shaky legs rush me down the stairs, and it's with urgency that I get out of the Cullen's' house. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, Edward lets me. Highly unusual, and I mull this thought over while I speed all the way home. Maybe he picked up the melancholy even I felt radiating off me, and how unhappy I was.

How unhappy he made me.

Last night, I wished upon a star, because nothing else had seemed to work. I wished upon a star for Jacob Black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Someday Chapter 2**

When I return home, I breathe a sigh of relief. It's nice returning to normal, to the comfort of my own house, where I don't have to put on the constant charade of looking happy. Where Edward's over-analyzing eyes can't see and interpret every action, every insignificant movement.

Charlie's on the couch, watching the football game. I say hello before I head upstairs. He makes a non-committal grunt, too engrossed in that pointless sport. As usual, I follow my routine of phoning the Black residence, checking my e-mail inbox and, after nobody picks up the phone and I have zero messages, lying back down and thinking of Jacob.

It's been weeks. Or have the weeks finally ran into months? It feels like a lifetime ago when I last saw the face of my best friend. Whenever I make the drive to La Push, nobody's ever home. I soon stopped my regular visits after Edward inquired over the nature of them. "How many times have I _told _you, Bella?" He snapped at me, looking furious. "Stay away from there."

Maybe, if I could just see Jacob one last time, things wouldn't be so devastating. If I could just say the words I've spent sleepless nights thinking of, I could repair this. I see his face nearly every night in my dreams. Happy and grinning, eyes fondly watching over me, while he wraps me up in the warmth that will only ever be Jacob. Then, suddenly, he'll change into the russet-coloured wolf and disappear into the darkness…

Whenever I wake, his silhouette lingers in my mind. I've fallen in love with my best friend.

And Edward. Once upon a time, not even that long ago, he was everything I needed; like oxygen, a vital part of me staying alive. He kept me whole. I loved him so much, I felt my poor old heart couldn't contain it. I had convinced myself life couldn't go on without him in it. But I was wrong, because that was a lie. Life could. Life did.

If only I could've let go of those shimmering memories of the past sooner, I would've been able to tell Jake I loved him before it was too late. My sunshine. No wonder everyday feels like the middle of a storm.

I know I must end things with Edward. I can't delay the inevitable, because I can't stay with him anymore. I don't _want_ to resent him, but it's already happening. I look at him, and my stomach sinks. He's not the one I want holding me, kissing me, whispering soft something's in my ear. He's _not._

I've wasted so many days, too many days, with my marble-carved vampire. Now, it just doesn't feel right. It's unnatural. I realize Edward was only ever going to be a phase, brought on from my fascination at first sight with him. I'm so glad he can't shuffle through my thoughts. How would he react when he found I can't _bear_ to have him even _touch_ me?

During dinner, the phone rang. I'd answered it before Charlie had even realized it was ringing, and he returned back to his casserole. I rolled my eyes, and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bella." I froze. It was Billy's voice. I hadn't seen nor heard from him either, and neither had Charlie. Did this mean they were back, from wherever it is that they were? "It's Billy. Is your Dad there?"

"Oh… Um, yeah." I wordlessly passed Charlie the phone, in a state of complete shock. I sat down at the table, not even hungry anymore. Eagerly, I tried to listen in on the conversation. Charlie was fairly unresponsive, too busy eating. My ears strained to hear what Billy was saying…

"Huh? Tomorrow?" Charlie asked. "That sounds fine… We'll see you there."

That night, I lay down prepared for sleep with a genuine smile playing on my lips. My stomach was knotted up with excitement, fluttering full of giddy butterflies who felt my elation and celebrated with me.

_Jacob was home._

**What did you think? I'm not 100% sure whether to continue this or not, so reviews would be great. Thank-you for reading!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Someday Chapter 3**

I was sick and tired of interrogations.

I was accustomed to vampires sneaking into my bedroom after midnight. I groaned, full of dread, when I heard the window creak open, deciding on the best way to tell Edward to leave me tonight. However, I needn't have bothered conjuring up excuses. It wasn't Edward.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, her fury evident. I opened one weary eye, and found it hard to find the sight of Alice in any way intimidating. I _know_ what she's capable of, but it's so hard imagining delicate, pixie-like Alice possibly posing as some kind of threat. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

I sat up, not in the mood. Charlie had fallen asleep downstairs, so I didn't have to worry - much - about the volume of Alice's high-pitched shrieks. "Um. Sleeping. Which reminds me - thanks for waking me."

"Not that!" She snapped, starting to pace, worked up into such a frenzy. Today, she wore a sleeved green dress which looked expensive although something I wouldn't be caught dead in. Alice always looked like she just stepped off the pages of an airbrushed magazine. "Does it happen to slip your mind that I see visions of the goddamn future?"

Uh-oh.

I played along. "Of course…." I chose my words carefully, eyes aching for sleep again. Did the Cullen's have some kind of vendetta against me getting a decent night's sleep? "Hard to forget something that unique, Alice."

Alice glowered. "Then how do you think _I _felt when I saw your future completely disappear? Bella, when will you learn to stay away from this hideous dog-creatures? You promised my brother. It's dangerous! We're trying to keep you safe - _must_ you endanger yourself, time and time again?"

Dog-creature. Ouch. I'm sure Jake would get a kick out of that.

"Look, Alice…" I looked up in horror; a slow realization dawning upon me, "did you… did you tell Edward?"

Her lip curled as she replied, "No. He's away hunting with Emmett and Esme. But don't think I'm going to keep this hidden. We're trying to keep you _safe_," She re-iterated. "You must know how Edward feels about you already. What exactly did you say to him this morning?"

"Huh? Oh…" I fidgeted uncomfortably. Because I didn't _say_ anything to him, exactly, but my silence and out of ordinary behaviour was enough indication to how I felt. "Nothing. Why?"

"He's walking around heart-broken." Alice paused, before frowning. "Well… so to speak."

I shook my head, feeling a great surge of anger towards Edward, and Alice, and how they closed in on my life from all sides, leaving no room to breathe. I wanted to be able to live without constantly being questioned, like a suspect, like I committed an unspeakable crime. "Not my problem," I murmured, "and I'm going to see Jake."

"_Bella!"_

"Alice, he's my best friend. No, let me finish first," I cut across her, surprised at my own daring. I proceeded nervously, but still with an air of defiance. "My _best friend._ Please, you have to understand you and everyone else but keep me from seeing him. Accept it. I don't care if he's a werewolf… Jake would never hurt me."

"Emily-"

"I'm _not _Emily." I said through gritted teeth, "and that won't happen to me. Besides, it's not as if there's an ongoing risk of danger when your in a house surrounded by blood-thirsty vampires." The words came out with too much bitterness. I regretted them nearly immediately.

Alice shot me one last look, not angry anymore, but crestfallen. Her wide, child-like eyes fell, and it was as if they were communicating with me the message of - _how could you?_ I blinked, and she was gone.

***

"You're happy." Charlie noted while we drove to La Push that morning. He regarded me with confused eyes while I drove, humming along to the radio and being unable to stop grinning. "Is this about seeing Jake?"

No, Dad, it's about seeing Billy. What a hunk.

"Yup." I tried not to make too much of an effort in getting ready. Worried that it might seem a little out of character if I suddenly wore figure-hugging close and - _gah _- make-up. No, my style was the same as always. A little plain, a little boring. "I haven't seen him in weeks."

My enthusiasm pleased Charlie to no end. He never hid his dislike for Edward. Recently, it never bothered me when he spoke ill of my boyfriend. I nearly shuddered. _Boyfriend. _I knew that Charlie would secretly love to have Jacob as a son-in-law one day. Because it was _Jacob._

The door to the very familiar house in La Push was open; and Billy sat in his wheelchair, smiling warmly at us. Charlie had brought beer, and they were bound to find a football game on TV which they could spend the evening lost in. I thought this was perfect - leaving me with plenty of time to freely talk with Jacob.

However, walking into the living-room, I didn't see him waiting, like I expected him to be. Surely he knew he were coming over, if Billy had invited us down for the evening? I turned to Billy. "Where's Jake?"

Panic set in. Did he even want to see me? Oh, God, I didn't anticipate for this - the event in which Jacob didn't want me here. Was he avoiding me, deliberately? I bit down on my bottom lip. Where _was _he? I needed Jacob. Being here, in his home, feeling him all around me, and not having seen him made me feel hollow inside.

"I'm right here," said a low, yet husky voice from the doorway. I whirled around, and suddenly my knees went weak, as if my legs were about to buckle, and I stumbled forwards and right into my best friend's waiting arms.

He caught me effortlessly and grabbed me into one of this bone-crushing hugs, pressing me against him so tightly I couldn't breathe. I welcomed the closeness, feeling my heart relax. I was right where I needed to be. Being held in the arms that I'd dreamt of every night, the arms of my best friend. I was home.

"_Jacob!" _

**So… yeah! What did you think? I would love to hear what everyone thought, thank-you for reading! More Bella & Jacob soon - I promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Someday Chapter 4**

Each footprint on the soft, sunlit sand could tell a story of it's own. How many times had we walked the length of this beach, just talking freely, no limitations at all? Or, sometimes, we wouldn't talk at all - content in the quiet, enjoying each other's company. The words I long to say are poised on the tip of my tongue, but the thought of _saying_ them causes me to nearly blush.

Jacob filled up the silences, filling me in on everything while I clung onto every word. I'd missed the sound of his voice. So full of life and happiness, and a love for life, in spite of how many times it knocked him down. He'd stayed at his Aunt's and he described the cabin, her questionable odour, how his relatives drove him crazy, and one incident where he almost set Billy on fire.

God, how I'd missed this boy. This crazy, entirely one-of-a-kind boy.

"I said I was just experimenting, but he got kinda mad." Jacob said, wearing the grin that I loved. I just stared, transfixed. "Rambled on about respect for elders. Accidents happen right? But oh no. Anyway-" He nudged me playfully, grin still in place. I searched his eyes for a remnant, a giveaway, something that would hint at the repressed bitterness I had half-expected. Nothing. Unless he was hiding it. "How've you been?"

No. I don't _want_ to talk about me. There's not much to tell. I've just been waiting here, pining for you, wolf-boy.

"Oh…" My thoughts were scattered now. I rummaged through them. I kept stuttering and tripping over my sentences now, around Jake. Why was I this incredibly nervous? He had seen every emotion of mine that I had. He was the reason for so much laughter, the one who made me smile whenever I cried. The one who got rid of the spider my eyes happened to fall upon one afternoon, the one who afterwards teased me about it with light-hearted humour.

He knew everything about me. His friendship had kept me alive. Did he even know how much I owed to him, how much he meant to me? How genuinely sorry I was I hadn't realized sooner the _extent_ of what I felt towards him. That it wasn't only friendship, but something significantly more meaningful - that I had deliberately chosen to ignore rather than to dwell upon. Something that scared me, something I wasn't prepared to deal with.

"I've been fine," I said, and it wasn't much of a lie. I _had_ been, really. Life was sort of the same, just without the sunshine. Images ran through my head. Forks High School. The Newman's Store. Angela, Jessica - the faces of my friends. Charlie. Housework, and homework, and day-to-day activities that kept my mind off other things. Edward. "There's nothing much to tell, Jake. I'm quite dull."

"Dull!" He repeated, laughing at me. It was impossible to imagine, but it seemed that he'd grown even taller. He literally towered above me. Strange, how I'd watched him fill out before my very eyes. He wore jeans and a faded blue t-shirt. The rainy weather didn't apply to him. While I shivered, he walked around, warm as Arizona. "I highly doubt that. You always find some kind of drama - no late night visits to the emergency room since I've been gone?"

"Unfortunately, not." I watched a group of girls, around my page, walk past. They were pretty, in a very obvious way, and I felt my jaw clench as they eyed Jacob up and down hopefully. He didn't even see them, but I was suddenly left with a pang of dread. Jacob could get a girlfriend like _that._ How did I know he hadn't already moved on? Maybe I'd waited too long. Perhaps my best friend had pieced together the fragments of his broken heart and found somebody else. Somebody better. "No drama either."

"Huh." He said. "That's out of character, Bells. Are-" He hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him. Like always. He could never resist. "How's Cullen?" He finally asked me.

Unwanted.

"Er… alright, I guess," I said quietly. The mention of Edward just made me want to be miserable again. The feeling of being trapped, surrounded overwhelmed me once more. Like I couldn't make one step without constantly being shadowed and watched and worried over. "I haven't seen him a lot. I'm not really… We're not really getting along lately."

I didn't have to sneak at him to know this caught Jacob off guard. I bet he was expecting an entirely different answer. Maybe defensive - another rant about how he should be able to acknowledge Edward's kindness, and that he should accept I loved him. Or a babble about how happy we were. Both would be a lie. "How come?" He asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"It's him." I admitted, and it felt nice to say it aloud. How much he's been bothering me. I could hardly spill to Charlie, or any of my friends. "The way he's acting."

Jacob grabbed my arm and whirled me around so that I was facing him. Suddenly, he looked furious. I wondered for a moment if such anger was aimed at me. My face shaped into a one of absolute puzzlement. "What did he do?" Jacob growled dangerously. I was almost frightened, but only almost. I was safe around him - I knew, and he knew, that he would _never_ harm me. "Bella, what's he done to you?"

"He hasn't hurt me, Jake. I'm just having second-thoughts. I mean, about him and this and everything else. He's closing in on me. I feel so restricted… Like, I can't be myself. I'm having to put on this display of normalcy when inside… I'm screaming."

A silence.

**Hey. This chapter isn't finished yet, but I'm posting what I have so far for opinions. I'm not sure where this story is going, and I'm debating whether or not to discontinue. Thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5

Someday Chapter 5

"You, Bella," I said sternly to the reflection in the mirror; taking note of the sad eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. The girl in the glass looked so crushed; I want to hug her... despite the fact the girl was myself. I ran a hand through my hair, exasperated, "are an idiot."

I crawled in a resigned fashion into bed. The moment my head hit the pillow, the thoughts I'd been pushing aside descended onto my weak and vulnerable self. I imagined Jacob's face, the expressions, the way his eyes searched mine, the way he laughed. Then, I felt a wave of annoyance. I never told him. Well, I told him a manner of things... But I never told him what I promised myself I would.

That I loved him. As it happened, it didn't come up. I bit my tongue and never said, like a coward. How could I possibly tell him? There was never going to be an opportune moment. I'd broken his heart so many times, always making sure he didn't overstep my carefully-drawn boundaries. He could joke about it, shrug it off like no big deal, but the rejection was razor-sharp, and it had hurt him. Much like it had tormented me. I didn't like seeing his face; illustrated with such happiness; crumple.

Especially now I realize all the things he wants, and all the wants I want are the exact same.

I had spoken to him about Edward; my vampire boyfriend. He had gone silent; shock, no doubt, unable to believe it. Could his ears be deceiving him? How could I possibly be falling out of love with the one I always preferred; the one I has compared Jacob to, and had convinced myself that was so glorious in his blinding perfection, Jake could never measure up to such magnificence? I wanted to pour my heart out, tell him the extent, but I stuttered and lost my voice and wished I could say, "I love you."

"I don't know what to say..." Jacob said, face a blank. I'd never seen him with a more clueless expression. It would've been comical if the situation wasn't so serious. Serious to me, at least. I watched him, waiting. Then, he did the thing I very least expected. A tiny, distant, far-away corner in my mind told me, that - maybe - if I told him about Edward, he'd come to his senses. That he would make the first move; crash his lips against mine and seal our fate forever. But no. He laughed.

Soon, we began walking back to his house. Treading along the sands, hand-in-hand. This wasn't a romantic gesture on his part. With Jake, there was always a certain closeness, that before I had winced away from, but now embraced welcomingly. He held his hand nearly as tight as he held mine. I stared at our intertwined fingers, and tried to create a different scenario. Conjuring up my severe lack of my imagination, I pretended we were together. Together together. Just your average teenaged couple; in love and happy as could be.

I'm not good at make believe.

Jake drove me home in my truck. Neither of us wanted to say goodbye.

"I'm afraid you'll take off again," I admitted on the ride home, wishing I would never leave the security of La Push and the comfort of his home. My second-home. "I don't want you to leave again. Did you know how crazy I went when you were gone?"

Jacob chuckled, and turned to face me. He looked so sincere, and regretful at the same time for his sudden departure before. I lost my line of thought, content in watching his soft features. I wanted to commit every detail to memory, and lock it away in a vault in my heart, but my memory would never do Jacob justice. No matter how many times I summoned his face in my mind, I got it all wrong, because right now, this boy - this human boy - is unbelievably extraordinary yet ordinary at the same time. Nothing seems to make sense, does it? "I'm not gonna leave, Bells."

"Pinky promise?"

Without even taking his eyes off the road, we linked up pinky's. "You can't break a pinky promise," I told him as seriously as possible, whilst trying not to laugh. "Everyone knows that stuff is legit."

"Legit, huh?" Jake questioned me, amused. "Okay. I won't break it. Not if you tell me not to."

"Aw, shucks." I watched with a sinking feeling as he withdrew his hand, already missing the warmth one single touch brought to me.

"Bella?"

I looked up." Yeah?"

"I missed you, you know." His hand reached out to mine, and gave it a soft squeeze. Careful not to crush any bones; he could easily snap each and every one. "I thought about you every day. Round about sunset,

I'd walk outside, sit underneath this massive oak tree outside my Aunts, and just... think of us. The next morning, when the sun would rise, I'd do the same thing. Billy said a fool watches the sun rise. And then he said, a fool in love watches it set."

A sharp intake of breath. I had no time to think. I willed him to say those three little words me and my heart, my pounding heart, longed to hear more than anything. I wanted to nourish my body full of that happiness it craved. I wanted to look at the sun and feel complete; knowing that even the marvellous sunlight would never come close to my own personal sun, making each and every day more magical than the last. I wanted to watch the sun set, and not feel dread at the thought of another lonely night.

Why would I fear if I spent the hours beside Jacob? He would lure me to sleep with his soft breathing and only gentle snoring. As opposed to Edward, propped up like an ornament. I could never sleep, knowing that he was going to stare at my closed eyelids until morning. Why was it only now I began to think that was not only sinister, but _creepy?_

Jacob laughed again. Shattering any expectations I foolishly held, "Because watching the sun set is meant to be this big old romantic thing, you know?" He laughed once more. It felt like he was laughing at me, and my own interpretation of his words. I scowled. "So I stopped going outside to watch the sun rise, and the sun set, but I still thought of you every day. More than once. Okay... all the time."

Now, his laughter had faded. The humour had gone, and the atmosphere appeared a lot more serious. This was one of the moments you saw on movies - the deep ones, when the female character acts on impulse, and just goes out and says it, what she's meaning refraining from saying for the majority of the film. The timing was just right. If I said it now, and get it over with, then I can break the chain of sadness.

Change it, to the way they were supposed to be right from the beginning. Instead of taking the twisted and gnarled route that lead me to Edward, I should've stayed on track. I had that chance. "Jake, I-" No. _I can't do it now_. "I thought about you too." That part wasn't a lie. It was his image I saw all day, and it was him who I saw every night in dreams.

"When you thought of me, did you get my good side?"

***

"Bella?" Edward asked the next night. Spaghetti night in the Swan household - very exciting stuff. I was stirring, and looked up to the direction of his velvet-sounding voice. He sat at the table, newspaper open. Just part of the charade; he had no intent of reading it. "Is there anything bothering you?"

_Just you, and your presence, and the way you make me feel. _I shook my head, attempting a grin. "No. Just tired, is all. Here, can you pass me that plate?"

Not even a second passed and he stood right before me, hand outstretched, holding the plate with the blue pattern Charlie liked. It was part of the surviving china he had purchased with Renee, back in the early days of their marriage. I handled it with care.

"Alice was hoping she could take you hostage this weekend," Edward said, and now he looked bewildered, "have you two had a fight recently? She's deliberately reciting poetry in her head whenever I'm near. I'm thinking there's something in her thoughts she doesn't want me to hear?"

I had completely forgotten about Alice. The spoon I had been stirring with clattered to the floor. Without bothering to retrieve it, I pulled open the cutlery draw and grabbed another, refusing to make eye contact with Edward, who stood still as a statue, taking in everything. "Just a disagreement."

"Concerning?" He pressed.

"Nothing important," I insisted harshly, tired of questions, and my unsatisfactory answers. Part of me _hoped_ he intruded Alice's mind, and read what she was hiding. Our exchange the other night. Maybe that give Edward just a little insight. It had been a week, and I was always trying to structure how to tell him, to break up with him. I'd never had the task of terminating a relationship before.

With bitterness, I thought about last September. But Edward certainly had _plenty _of experience…

"You're not yourself lately." He stated. I turned, and there was, towering over me. I knew he cared. He cared too much over someone undeserving. I didn't want this love, this possessive nature. Before, it was all I wanted. Now, I shuddered away. "What happened? Is it Jacob?"

I froze. He said Jake's name fiercely, and I fought the urge to hit him with the spoon. It would only break against the impenetrable vampire skin, but in that moment, I wanted to inflict pain. I wanted to make him hurt. "It has nothing to with Jake. And stop saying his name like that - spitting it out like something bad."

"It _is_ something bad!" He said, reminding me of Alice. He grabbed me by the shoulders, and I rattled. I pushed him off me using every ounce of human strength I could just about muster. He stepped back voluntarily, shocked. I had never pushed him away from me before. "Bella, love, he's not good for you."

"He's my best friend," I said quietly, getting increasingly angrier. Wearily, he took one step towards me, and instantly I took another back. Leaning against the counter, eyeing him with such fury, I hope it made him ashamed. "My _best friend._ Why can't you and your family _accept_ that? You drink blood! - Do you hear _me_ judging you?"

His face distorted with disgust, "that's entirely different. We have control over ourselves-"

"I'll pretend your brother didn't try to kill me then," I mumbled.

"-But give the wolves just one second, Bella, and they'll hurt you. No, don't." He said, when I began to protest, "You have this idea of Jacob of being somebody who would never harm you, Bella, I know. But that one second can change everything. Everything I do, I do because I love you."

There we go again. "Let me live my own life, Edward. I'm not going to step seeing him."

I should feel guilt, as his face drops into such a tortured expression. I watch him, feeling no remorse. This was me standing up for myself, for once. Surprised at how defiant I sounded. If Jake was here, he'd high-five me and whistle. _Jake… _I missed him. I returned to stirring the nearly-done dinner I was preparing. Turning my back to Edward, I never noticed when he slipped out the door and into the night.

**Love it? Hate it? Let me know, your reviews are amazing and I love hearing what you think. Enjoying it so far? I promise… I want Bella & Jacob to get together soon, too!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Someday Chapter 6 (Part 1)**

"Bella?" Jessica asks me while we walk through the hall, trailing from fifth to sixth period. My thoughts were elsewhere; I'd been zoning out on everybody all day. In History I had embarrassed myself in front of the entire class by not even noticing the teacher standing by my desk, expectantly. When I had finally snapped out of my trance-like state, I came round with an ungraceful _"Whaaaa?" _much to general amusement. Jessica clapped her hands together, eyebrows raised. "Finally, you're back. As I was saying..." She shot me a disapproving look, before carrying on. Angela and Mike walked with us, "Camping this weekend."

Angela grinned widely, looking excited. "I'm in," She agreed.

"Me too," Mike said, looking at me. Eurgh. Some things would never change, and Mike - poor old, unlucky in love Mike - would never fully move on from his hopeless crush. If I wasn't so caught up in the worlds of vampire and werewolf, and forced myself to like regular people, I might find him cute, on some very wrong level. "Bella? Intrigued?"

"What?" I glanced up at the faces of my friends, exchanging the same 'maybe she's crazy after-all' expression. Hurriedly, I threw myself into cheerful mode and agreed with bogus enthusiasm. I valued their friendship. Even Jessica's. It gave me a nice release from the bittersweet reality. I didn't want to the lose them all, again. And who knows? A care-free weekend spent camping with your friends sounded pretty awesome. Soon, my false happiness didn't have to be so strained, and I babbled with Jessica about it throughout sixth period, and on the way to the car-park. Jessica, despite being insanely irritating occasionally, proved to be a good friend. I never expected that to happen.

She danced off with a spring in her step, and me and Angela carried on walking. It was a miserably grey day; reflecting my mood all too well. Edward and his family were absent; despite the depressing weather. I told myself I couldn't possibly be the cause, but when was I not the cause of drama when it involved the Cullens? I could imagine them discussing me in great depth; shaking their heads, acting as if I've betrayed them. I haven't done anything wrong. Apart from fall out of love with Edward, and nobody - apart from Jake, in a way - knows that much. I've been putting it off, and I know I should end it - soon. I need to find the right moment. This wasn't something you could just blurt out in civilized conversation.

"This weekend should be fun," Angela said with a smile. She was plain, but pretty, with an uncommonly kind nature. She was still going out with Ben; off with the flu. I was close to Angela, in a way teenage girls should be with their friends. We talk during school and occasionally talk on the phone, but the friendship doesn't often extend to our social lives. I used to spend every free moment with Edward; now I just want to spend the weekends in La Push. I appreciate Angela and Jessica and Mike and Ben - even Lauren - but that's it. Nothing will ever come close to how I feel about Jake, or threaten the strength of our friendship. Never ever ever. "I haven't been camping in forever."

"Me neither," I admitted, "I'm not good with the whole outdoorsy, nature thing. I can't even start a fire."

Angela laughed with me. "I'll be just a hopeless. Still - it'll be good. Jessica loves organizing these kind of things."

"I know someone just like her," I said through gritted teeth, thinking of Alice. I felt a pang of guilt I didn't know was coming. Maybe I regretted our argument more than I thought. "Gotta love the chirpiness. It's infectious."

"Are you inviting your friend from La Push?" Angela asked, seemingly out of the bloom. I wondered what brought her to ask such an unexpected question, and looked at her in bewilderment. But, on the other hand, I was happy she brought Jacob up anyway. His face invaded my mind once again, leaving me speechless. It made me light-hearted; I barely looked where I walked and very nearly fell over. "You know, that Jacob Black who you always hang out with?"

Even his name sounded cool. Jacob Black. Jacob Black. Bella Black...

"I actually didn't think to," I admitted. Jacob would naturally be incredible at constructing tents and making fires and roasting marshmallows. He did spend most of his life outside, these days. He'd make Mike and Ben look like ten-year olds. I smiled again. "Why?"

Angela nodded at something towards us, and I whirled around, looking. I didn't see him anywhere, and it was the moment that I was about to ask Angela "What are you staring at?" when my eyes finally fell over him. Leaning casually against my truck as if he belonged there. Girls walking past took immediate notice; watching him in wide-eyed wonder, barely able to take their eyes off him. I had to admit, Jacob looked good, and dangerous somehow, in his jeans and grease-stained white t-shirt, covered over with a black leather jacket. He winked, and Angela beside me - who has a boyfriend - let out a "Awhhfh" at the sight.

I couldn't believe it.

"I'll catch you later," I promised Angela, and I pushed thoughts of camping aside. I nearly broke into a run but managed to control myself. My legs felt weak anyway; I didn't trust them to burst into even a light jog. I stumbled again, and like always, Jacob's arms shot out to catch me. I fell into him, and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into one of those air-constricting hugs that he usually bestowed upon me. I didn't care that maybe the entire car park was watching this little display. I didn't care one single bit, and when I finally pulled away, I smiled at him so much my cheekbones ached and pleaded with me to stop. "I missed you!"

"Really?" He asked, eyes lit up in one of those creasing smiles of his. He looked genuinely pleased, and this caused a new brand of butterflies to flutter inside my stomach, because I was the reason for his smile. I loved making Jake happy. "I would never have guessed. I'm come to steal you, but as it turns out, you seem to be okay with the idea."

"You're stealing me?" I asked, and the thought of spending the rest of the day with Jacob only made my smile widen. Jessica, in her car, drove past, and gave Jacob a look I knew all too well. The _'You're going to be mine! _look I'd watched her give a thousand and ones guys. They'd react the same way - full of elation that they were considered one of the elite. But Jacob? He wrinkled his nose, and turned back to me.

"I think your friend has a soft spot for me. I have to say-" He straightened up his jacket, pretending to adore himself, "I do look pretty darn good. Is the jacket too much? I added it for effect. I'm quite the stud in these parts."

I playfully hit him. "You look like Danny Zuko from _Grease_," I joked with him, my mood brightening even more because he had shown no apparent interest in Jessica, who was pint-sized and easily the prettiest girl in my year. As opposed to me, clumsy and rather painfully average. Jacob never noticed any girls when he was with me though, I noticed. Did this mean something incredibly obvious and I was too braindead to dot-the-dots and figure it out?

His arms, holding my waist, reluctantly let go and opened the car door for me. I paused before getting in, curious once more. "And where, Mr Chauffeur, are we going?"

He got in at the other side, and started up the engine. He leaned across to answer my question, looking smug and very happy with himself. "You'll see."

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? I like hearing what everybody has to say. ****Please**** review, they mean everything to me (:**


End file.
